Executive Q&A: Michael Brown, President of Children’s Lighthouse

1851 Franchise: How did you get involved in franchising and Children's Lighthouse?

Michael Brown, President of Children’s Lighthouse: It's 100% rooted in family. My dad and uncle founded Children's Lighthouse in 1997, when I was still in high school. My two younger brothers and I were involved from the start. Although my dad and uncle came from backgrounds in real estate, construction and finance, and had started other businesses, they were new to child care. They recognized the industry's potential and decided to dive in. They launched our first school in Grand Prairie, Texas, and expanded to nine locations before starting to franchise in 2001. 

Initially, franchising wasn't the plan — they simply wanted to operate a few schools. However, when a group from Houston expressed interest in franchising, although we initially resisted, their persistence and passion for the concept led us to take a leap of faith, which proved successful.

Interestingly, the name "Children's Lighthouse" came from a family trip to Galveston, [Texas] a suggestion from my grandmother as we passed lighthouses. It perfectly captured the essence of what we wanted our culture to represent.

The entire venture was family-oriented from day one. My dad's goal was to build a business that could be passed down to us or one we could grow into. He always said he was doing this for us but never wanted to force it upon us. As kids, we kept busy helping with whatever was needed at the schools — watering plants, changing air filters or handling maintenance. We also assisted with marketing, distributing flyers and attending events, which provided us with valuable experience. After attending the University of Texas in Austin, I returned, unsure if I wanted to join the family business. Despite hearing horror stories about family businesses, working with my dad and uncle turned out to be a fantastic experience. I started at the bottom, working in various roles within the company, and gradually moved into our franchise department. This taught me a lot about our operations and solidified my love for what we do. Overall, working in this family-centric environment not only helped us grow as a business but also brought us closer as a family, which was an incredibly rewarding experience.

1851 Franchise: Were you inspired by your dad’s entrepreneurial drive? 

Brown: At that time, I was quite young and mostly focused on typical high school activities like playing sports and spending time with friends and girlfriends. I wasn't thinking about a career after education. Although I knew my dad had started a business, I didn't fully appreciate the significance of that achievement until I was older. Back then, I simply followed his directions, which turned out to be an excellent learning opportunity for me. When the time came to consider a full-time career, it was fortunate that the family business was an option. I fell in love with it immediately.

1851 Franchise: Did the process of studying accounting and finance in college make you more interested in joining the family business? 

Brown: Yeah, it did. My interest has always leaned towards accounting and finance because I've loved math since I was young. Initially, I envisioned a career in investment banking, private equity or even accounting. During college, we explored entrepreneurship through various case studies, which I found very interesting. However, at that time, I wasn't seriously considering a direct involvement in running a business. 

When I first started working at Children's Lighthouse in 2005, my role was quite limited, with little opportunity to make substantial decisions. It mostly involved learning about the business, which continued for many years. Looking back, I realize that gaining such a deep understanding of the industry and the business equipped me with the knowledge necessary to make more informed decisions when the need arose.

1851 Franchise: How did you end up taking the reins of the company? 

Brown: From the beginning, my dad and uncle often talked about retiring one day to enjoy time at the beach. They hinted that they wanted me to eventually take over, but it was clear from the start that they would never force the business on me. They'd say, "If it's not for you, don't worry about it — it won't hurt our feelings." However, as I grew with the company, I enjoyed working with our team and immersing myself in the culture more and more. At first, I wasn't fully aware of the impact of this culture, but as I took on leadership roles, I realized its significance and wanted to preserve it. Occasionally, I considered different directions and innovations based on what I'd learned over the years, but maintaining our foundational culture and team relationships was always my priority. 

This approach extended not just within our office but also to our franchise owners, fostering a unique environment unlike any I've seen in other franchises or businesses. We've had feedback from individuals experienced in different franchising industries, and they often remark on the uniqueness of our culture, stressing the importance of preserving it. 

It was actually a prospective franchisee who first approached us with the idea of franchising. The vision evolved from building a family business into developing a franchising model that not only aligned with our goals of enriching children's and communities' lives but also offered a robust platform for local entrepreneurs who wanted to run their businesses and secure their children's futures. This realization that franchising was the ideal path for expansion led us to dedicate ourselves fully to supporting our franchise network, which has remained our focus ever since.

From the outset, our goal was to uphold what we had built while managing our growth carefully. My dad and uncle envisioned significant growth, but it was always about controlled expansion, ensuring we had the right infrastructure to support our franchise owners without outpacing our capabilities. This principle of managed growth has always guided us.

1851 Franchise: How many Children’s Lighthouse locations are there currently?

Brown: We have 70 schools operating and 24 more in the pipeline, so we're hoping to be close to 100 units within the next few years.

1851 Franchise: What's your point of differentiation in the marketplace?

Brown: There's a significant nationwide demand for child care, and we've developed a robust process to identify and meet this demand in various markets. Our approach differs notably from other brands, primarily because of the culture and foundation my dad and uncle established. This family-driven culture permeates our entire organization, ensuring that everyone — from our office team to our franchise owners — upholds our mission statement, foundational views and core values.

Our franchise owners are integral as well. They embody these values, creating a network that genuinely cares for the children we serve. This genuine care builds trust with parents, who can feel confident about entrusting their children to us. 

Another significant distinction is our curriculum. We started with a basic off-the-shelf curriculum, suitable for our initial needs but limited. As we expanded and gained insight, we recognized the need for a curriculum that kept pace with the latest in child brain research and educational practices. This led us to develop our proprietary curriculum, lauded as one of the industry's best. It not only covers STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] subjects but also focuses on holistic development, teaching children life skills necessary for personal growth and leadership.

This curriculum ensures that we're not just teaching academics but nurturing well-rounded individuals. For instance, I just heard a remarkable story about a child who joined us at six weeks old and stayed through our after-school program until age 12. They recently published a book, attributing part of their development to their experience at Children's Lighthouse and the valuable lessons they learned. Stories like this underscore the profound impact of our work. Child care is a uniquely rewarding field, one where the benefits to children and their families are as immense as they are meaningful.

1851 Franchise: Is there anything else you want prospective franchisees to know about the brand?

Brown: If you have a passion for education, for child care and for enriching your community, this could be a great opportunity for you. It's an industry that requires great responsibility, but it's also so rewarding. It's not for everybody, but if you have that passion, it can be a uniquely fulfilling experience.

For more information on franchising with Children’s Lighthouse, visit: https://www.childrenslighthousefranchise.com/.